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Night Nannies was set up as the UK’s first nanny agency to provide full overnight care for newborn babies and children with sleep problems. 

It allows parents to enjoy a period of ten hours unbroken sleep.  Night Nannies offer advice in guiding children towards a better sleep routine. The agency also provides 24 hour maternity nurses and sleep trainers for babies over 6 months.

All the nannies are either paediatric nurses, ex maternity nurses, neo-natal nurses or nannies with extensive newborn experience.

 

What is a Night Nanny?

A Night Nanny is a trained professional, with extensive newborn experience, who will arrive at 9pm and leave at 7am  (although these hours are negotiable). She will help you with the night time feeds, bedtime routine, breastfeeding and any feeding or sleep issues.

Depending on your preference, your Night Nanny can rest in the same room as your baby or you will sleep with your baby and the Night Nanny will offer support and guidance when needed. When your baby wakes for a feed, the Night Nanny will make sure good feeding practices are being instilled; she will ensure your baby stays awake to have a good feed, and she will then wind and settle your baby. Often mothers drift off while feeding and may not have the energy to spend time on winding or settling their baby if they are tired. This can result in the baby waking again within a short period requiring further winding and possibly another feed. An exhausted mother may not recognise this in the small hours of the night. A Night Nanny will make sure everything stays on track whilst you get the best sleep you can.

 

What are the benefits of using a Night Nanny?

For the first few months, your baby will need to be fed regularly, day and night. Having a new baby can feel exhausting, but by hiring a Night Nanny you can avoid sleep deprivation.  A night nanny will help you through these early weeks and months. Knowing there is a professional in your home, caring for your baby, you will have the opportunity to sleep much better.

She can guide and support you through all the early concerns, help you establish good feeding patterns and instil positive sleep associations for your baby and avoid sleep deprivation.

 

How does it work?

The same Night Nanny will come to your house each week for as long as you need. You can reduce nights or stop at any time. They do not stay awake all night, they nap when the baby sleeps (they require a bed/sofa bed or mattress).

For you to get the greatest benefit from the service our Night Nannies share a room with the baby, but at all times they will follow your preference.

 

What if I am breastfeeding? How will a Night Nanny support me?

If you are breastfeeding your Night Nanny will bring your baby to you for feeds; you don’t have to leave your bed, meaning you can stay totally relaxed and after your baby has fed, you can immediately go back to sleep. Your Night Nanny will take the baby back to the nursery and take care of soothing, changing, winding and getting them back to sleep.

 

What is a Maternity Nurse and what does the term mean?

If you feel you need more support than just the night, then you could have a Maternity Nurse. They work 24 hours 5 or 6 days a week. Just like a Night Nanny, a Maternity Nurse is in charge of all aspects of the baby care. She will also provide support and guidance to you as a mother ensuring that you are well nourished and rested. A Maternity Nurse booked through Night Nannies will have the same sleep skills as our Night Nannies, so they will ensure your baby’s sleep is developing in line with his age. Please be aware that your Maternity Nurse will need sleep and a break too. Normally this is for 2-3 hours when it’s convenient during the day. She will have her own contract so do discuss this with her directly

 

What if my baby sleeps well at night, but I do have some problems in the day?

If you have some issues in the day ( i.e. your baby won’t settle for a nap or you are finding the transition from breast to bottle tricky) then you might want to think about booking a Super Nanny during the daytime to help you.

What if my baby is six months old or over and still not sleeping, what are my options?

If you have a child over 6 months who is on solids and not sleeping well at night, you can book one of our Sleep Consultants to come for up to 4 or 5 consecutive nights to resolve their sleeping habits. They will not leave your baby to cry alone – they have all been taught very gentle but highly effective and successful methods.

What background checks do agencies make on the nannies?

Any Maternity Nurse, Night Nanny or Nanny, who is registered with our agency will have undergone a rigorous interview to assess their suitability and have been thoroughly reference checked, with a proven track record.  They need at least 10 newborn references before we agree to meet them. They will be in possession of a DBS enhanced disclosure (police check) and a current First Aid certificate. Every time they finish a job we call the previous client before we send them out again, ensuring they continue to work to the exceptional standards we expect.

 

How far in advance do I need to book?

Night Nannies can be sent in very quickly, often within 24 hours if you need. When you call us please have a rough idea of the number of nights and for how long you would like to have a Night Nanny. It is a flexible service and we appreciate how things can change quickly. Maternity Nurses get booked up very early, especially when returning to look after a second or third baby. We suggest you call us when you are around 12-20 weeks pregnant in order to be able to choose your preferred Maternity Nurse.

 

What is the cost of a Night Nanny or Maternity Nurse?

Rates vary depending on the area you live in, the number of babies being cared for and the experience of the individual Night Nanny or Maternity Nurse. For a single baby a Night Nanny is £150 per night.  Each agency will charge a fee for their services, and again this varies depending on the area you live in. Please see the Contact page for your region for current details and costs for services provided in your area.

All Night Nannies and Maternity Nurses are self-employed and are paid directly by the client. Our Maternity Nurses are available to travel outside the UK and in this case will usually add a 20% surcharge to their weekly rate.

 

What happens once my Night Nanny begins?

Discuss with your Night Nanny any expectations and outcomes that you are hoping to achieve. It is useful to keep a diary of the daytime feeds, naps and nappies. Your Night Nanny with complete this also for the night times. Night Nannies should be allowed to rest in between the baby’s needs.   Plan the nights you need each week with your Night Nanny.  Ideally you should have the same Night Nanny for the entire booking.

Discuss how mealtimes will work – you will be expected to provide food for your 24 hour Maternity Nurse, but not for a Night Nanny and it’s fine to tell the Maternity Nurse that you and your partner would like to eat alone.

Our Nannies do not charge their time for attending interviews, but it is appreciated if you offer to reimburse any travelling costs on presentation of a receipt.

 

How do I pick a start date for the booking?

Babies rarely arrive on time, and we would recommend you booking a start date at least 7 – 14 days after your due date. This is particularly important when booking a Maternity Nurse as, if she is booked, and your baby hasn’t arrived, she will require 50% of her full fee for each week she has to wait. This is expensive for you, but also awkward for the Maternity Nurse and can lead to difficult situations when your baby does finally arrive.

Generally speaking, the Maternity Nurse won’t be booked up with her previous client right until the start date of her job with you, so there is a degree of flexibility should your baby arrive early. This is the advantage of using an agency, just call your region and they will usually be able to parachute someone else in if required.

We have also found that the first week or two without professional help gives you and your family time to bond and start getting to know your baby. Knowing that a Night Nanny or Maternity Nurse is coming within a week means you don’t worry too much about anything and can just enjoy those precious days.

If you are really struggling and your chosen Nanny is unavailable to start work before her contracted start date, we can generally find you suitable temporary cover.

Book a Night Nanny and get yourself a good nights sleep!

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